GradvsGrafWhich spelling fits?

Which to use

“Grad” and “Graf” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#928
“Grad” frequency rank
#2,768
“Graf” frequency rank
3696
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Grad Graf
Definition das Ausmaß, das Viel oder Wenig einer Eigenschaft oder eines Zustandes Adelstitel im Rang unter dem Fürsten und über dem Freiherrn

Where the eye mixes Grad and Graf

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

4 ch
Grad
4 ch
Graf

Visual trap between Grad and Graf

A purely visual mix-up. Grad ([ɡʁaːt]) and Graf ([ɡʁaːf]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - d in “Grad” becomes f in “Graf”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3696, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Grad is recorded at frequency rank #928, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡʁaːt]. Graf is at rank #2,768, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡʁaːf].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 3696, this pair ranks #1,999,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Grad vs Graf

Shared letters: agr. Private to "Grad": d. Private to "Graf": f.

"Grad" · 4 letters · shape CCVC  ·  "Graf" · 4 letters · shape CCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Gradgard · ggrad · gradd · grda · grrad · rgad
  • Grafgarf · ggraf · graff · grfa · grraf · rgaf

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Grad" and "Graf" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ɡʁaːt] versus [ɡʁaːf]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary German text, does "Grad" or "Graf" show up more?
"Grad" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #928 in our German list, against #2,768 for "Graf". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Grad" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Graf" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,999,604 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Grad" and "Graf" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gao vs Graf". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,999,604 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list